Legendary Ladies of Construction

Thursday 8 March is International Women’s Day – and we’re celebrating! Women are standing ground in traditionally male-dominated industries all across the country. New Zealand has plenty of strong female role models like Chief Justice Dame Sian Elias, Prime Minister Jacinda Arden, Governor General Patsy Reddy, Olympic medallists Sophie Pascoe and Lisa McCartney, plus 2017 World Rugby Women’s Player of the Year Portia Woodman. 

The number of women in the construction industry has grown in recent years and women are hard at work in just about every construction role in New Zealand. They are taking on tasks from securing roofs and analysing construction telematics to managing projects and drafting blueprints.

The female construction workforce doubled from 2001 – 2016 and is continuing to grow with women now making up 12 per cent of trades apprentices. Apprentices and newcomers are speaking up about their positive experiences and dispelling the myths that surround women in the industry.

Anna Clearwater, a young carpentry apprentice says, “If I could give any advice to other girls wanting to get in to this industry, it would be to do it… I was nervous I wouldn’t be accepted, being a female, but everybody has been so supportive and encouraging.”

TJ Daly, a roofer at Newfield Roofing, notes that having women in your crew can positively change the atmosphere and points out that sometimes men “underestimate how strong women are.”

At just 16 years old, Barrett Caton is one of ten young winners who secured work placements as part of the #BuildAKL industry recruitment campaign. She points out that from her experience with Downer Group there’s a lot of diversity in the industry, and she says , “being a female in a male dominated industry wasn’t something I paid too much attention to…the construction industry is evolving and there is a lot of support behind us females.”

With New Zealand’s current building boom, it makes sense to support more women to join the construction industry. The National Association of Women in Construction NZ (NAWIC) encourages women to ‘pursue, establish and sustain successful careers in the construction industry’ and has been active since 1996. Members include quantity surveyors, project managers, suppliers, planners, designers, architects, engineers, tradespeople and lawyers. Those interested can stay up to date by visiting their facebook page. 

Last year NAWIC received a President’s Award from the New Zealand Institute of Architects (NZIA) for the organisation’s valuable role in supporting women in construction for the past 20 years. NAWIC Spokesperson, Donna Howell, says the award is a testament to the increased profile of women in construction resulting from decades of hard work. 

“It is such an honour to receive recognition from the NZIA, as NAWIC is run by a team of volunteers with everyone from committee members right through to the board donating their time for this important cause,” says Donna.

New Zealand has a rich history of strong female leadership in all sectors, but it’s important we also acknowledge the thousands of women making a daily contribution to traditionally male-dominated industries.

So, let’s hear it for the everyday heroes out on the jobsite and in the office – our legendary ladies of construction.